July 16, 2020

When one craft meets another, great things can result…

Beer’s a wonderful thing. It’s getting better too. It can’t have escaped notice that there’s a rebirth, some might even say an explosion in interest, in the wares of smaller brewers. Lots of theories out there as to why, but who really cares when the movement is establishing some brilliant beers and, just as importantly, putting the word “convivial’ in the social context of a pint or two?

‘Proper’ beer has its advocates and, if you can understand the application of some truly abstract adjectives as applied to a pint of foaming finest, you might have yourself the makings of an evening. Today though, you don’t have to look too hard to find an emergent brew or two that celebrate their being with a kick of citrus or coconut adding another dimension to the hop. Products, if you will, of a new generation of brewers who are growing the market and developing the craft. Beer is indeed, a wonderful thing.

Making wonderful things appears to come quite easily to Claire and Jason Bell and the team at CJ Signs. CJ Signs is based not far at all from the M1 in Sheffield and has had well over a decade to refine its art and to grow a significant clientele as word has spread about the company and its expertise in vehicle livery work. On the journey, CJ Signs has become a source of acknowledged expertise in wrapping and the team there has reduced the complexity of its art to practice brilliantly.

Word of all that CJ Signs was capable of reached the ears of another Sheffield based and craft-led business recently when ‘Little Critters’ came looking for an impactful livery for one of its vehicles. Little Critters is a brewer and whether you’re into what you might call a ‘traditional’ brew or you’re seeking out something with a modern leaning that might raise your grandad’s eyebrows, you’ll find it in the range of beers that Little Critters puts together. Thanks to a superb livery from CJ Signs, the Little Critters brand is making lasting impressions too.

CJ Signs went for the ultimate in down-to-earth and impactful contrasts with its livery for Little Critters. Tempting though it is to call the result ‘old-school’ the cut-and-applied result embodies modern techniques and employs scale to throw a big punch. The whole vehicle is the livery’s canvas. It respects no panel boundary, no crease or recess. The livery uses, to sensation effect, the entire estate available.

Metamark 7 Series vinyl was elected for the job. Black in this case. Black is one of the few colours that’s been part of the 7 Series range from day one. New colours abound in the range now, but black got the job done for Little Critters and CJ Signs. The livery is brilliantly designed and very expertly applied. It needs to be. The applied vinyl has to fit like a glove in a total coverage design and, though it’s not a wrap per-se, it employs many of the craft’s arts in its execution. The skilled hands at CJ Signs delivered.

The result is exceptional. Its a livery taken to extreme’s all too rarely explored by cut and applied work. It makes a memorable impact on the part of Little Critters and its values. One craft has met another and shaken hands to great effect.

Craft-based brewing is going to go from strength to strength thanks to the inventiveness of its practitioners and the growth of the market’s palette and its appetite for quality. For as long as there’s an appetite on the part of businesses to get the message out there and make it stick, the phone’s going to keep ringing at CJ Signs too.